Génésio backs Doué’s versatility, with one clear preference

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·8 April 2026

Génésio backs Doué’s versatility, with one clear preference

Désiré Doué, the 20-year-old midfielder/forward for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team, was deployed in midfield by PSG coach Luis Enrique during last Friday’s win over Toulouse (3-1). That led L’Équipe to reflect on the French international’s best position. Bruno Génésio, current Lille coach who worked with him at Rennes, was invited to give his analysis to the sports daily.

Génésio: “As close to goal as possible.”

“How would you define Désiré Doué’s playing identity? He ticks every box for the modern player. What is a modern player? First of all, it’s a player who is athletically capable of making a huge difference. Through his speed, power, and work rate, Désiré has that. He also has a technical arsenal that is well above average. He is a decisive player who wants to make an impact through the final pass, the pass before that, or the goal itself. And he scores important goals too, which is not that common. Lastly, he has an elite mentality. The debate around his role, his identity as a player, comes up regularly. In which role do you feel he is most useful? As close to goal as possible. Whether he lines up centrally or out wide doesn’t really matter in the end; what matters is that he can make the most of his distribution and finishing qualities. When he is positioned deeper, he tends to try difficult things and therefore can potentially lose dangerous balls.

Génésio: “A player who is constantly hungry to learn and improve.”

But in the short term, should he settle into one position? No, he should grow from different experiences. When you have 200 professional matches under your belt, when you’ve already won a Champions League, you’re a prodigy, and that kind of rare profile needs to feed off different game situations. For him, I think it would be a mistake to settle. Especially since it’s not something that bothers him. For example, I used him in a double pivot at Rennes, and he didn’t complain. Désiré is a player who is constantly hungry to learn and improve.”

Indeed, Doué seems to fully embody the idea of the modern top-level player. Technical qualities have not been forgotten, contrary to what some claim, but they are no longer “enough” on their own. Or else they have to be absolutely extraordinary. Even then, a certain physical foundation is required nowadays, given how difficult it is to avoid duels throughout an entire match. There is also the fact that a team struggles to hold up if everyone is not making real defensive efforts.

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PSG’s number 14 knows how to help his team both offensively and defensively. He never shirks the hard work, is a real fighter in duels, and has the power to back it up. All of that comes with a rare ease on the ball. What’s more, he is perfectly capable of making the difference with his left foot. Unpredictable, a dribbler, passer, and goalscorer, Doué has the full package.

That versatility is bound to appeal to Luis Enrique, because it gives him various options. He can choose a more attacking setup with Doué in midfield, for example. He can get particularly dangerous shots when he comes in from the left. More runs to the byline when he is on the right, while still keeping his ability to cut inside and score with his left. His risk-taking can be “costly” in midfield, but it is also a major asset for playing out of pressure or breaking through a defensive block.

Since the player does not set limits for himself and does not complain, he keeps developing his game and serving the team. That is valuable. Why pin down a player with so many possibilities to one position? Especially since football is still far from rigidly defined. A starting “position” does not determine everything. Even less so under Luis Enrique.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.